Manus AI Update May 2026: Every New Feature, Connector, and Change This Month

Manus has been shipping at a pace that makes it hard to keep up. May 2026 brought eight significant product updates, two new connectors, and deeper integrations with tools that operators actually use. This post covers every change, what each feature does in practice, and where the gaps remain.

If you evaluated Manus in March or April and decided to wait, several of the things you were probably waiting for landed this month.

Scheduled Tasks 2.0 (May 18)

The original Scheduled Tasks let you run a Manus task on a recurring schedule — daily, weekly, at a set time. That worked for simple repetition: daily digests, weekly reports, routine scans.

Scheduled Tasks 2.0 broadens what “recurring” actually means in practice. Three changes matter.

Continue inside the same task. Previously, each scheduled run spawned a new standalone task. That meant losing the conversation context, files, and decisions from prior runs. Now, scheduled work can continue inside the same task conversation. Manus picks up where it left off — same instructions, same files, same history. For daily standups, recurring follow-ups, or dashboard updates that build on previous results, this eliminates the context-rebuilding tax.

Scheduled actions inside web apps. Web apps built with Manus can now include their own scheduled actions. If you built a dashboard that needs to refresh data every morning, or a report generator that runs weekly, the schedule lives inside the app itself. You don’t have to open the app or start a separate task to trigger the update.

Better visibility. A new side panel shows upcoming runs, past executions, and links back to the related task for each run. Calendar and schedule views make timing easier to scan. You can also skip confirmations on trusted workflows, so recurring tasks that send emails, publish posts, or update dashboards can proceed without manual approval each time.

The practical impact: if you have been manually re-running tasks each day or cobbling together external cron triggers, Scheduled Tasks 2.0 removes most of that friction. It also makes the “set it and forget it” promise of autonomous agents closer to real.

Projects That Learn From Every Task (May 6)

Manus Projects are shared workspaces that carry instructions, files, skills, and connectors across tasks. The problem has always been that projects drift out of date. A launch message gets sharper. A research format improves. A teammate makes a decision that should guide future work — but nobody updates the project instructions.

Now, Manus can review a completed task and propose updates to the Project it belongs to. This works across three dimensions:

• Instructions. If a conversation produces better guidance — a clearer writing checklist, an updated PRD template, a revised research method — Manus can propose that the Project instructions be updated to reflect it.
• Files. When source material, examples, or templates become outdated, Manus can suggest refreshed versions.
• Skills. When a repeatable workflow emerges, Manus can propose creating or updating a Project skill so future tasks follow the improved process.

Changes require your approval. Manus proposes, you review, you accept or reject. The system never mutates Project context without authorization.

This is one of those features that compounds. After a few weeks of use, Projects accumulate sharper instructions, better examples, and more relevant skills — because every task that produces useful knowledge can feed back into the workspace. It addresses the core problem of agent-based work: context degrades unless someone maintains it. Now the agent helps maintain it.

Preferred Browser for Browser Operator (May 12)

Browser Operator lets Manus control a Chrome browser to complete web tasks — checking dashboards, filling forms, pulling data from portals that don’t have APIs. The limitation was that Browser Operator used whatever browser environment was available on your current device. If you switched computers, you lost your sign-ins, extensions, and network access.

Preferred Browser solves this. You designate one authorized Chrome browser as the default environment for Browser Operator. That browser lives on your main machine, a dedicated workstation, or a spare computer that stays online. You keep it signed in to the services your workflows need. When you start a Browser Operator task from any device logged into the same Manus account, Manus routes through that preferred browser.

The setup is straightforward: install the Manus Browser Operator Chrome extension on the machine you want to use, authorize it, then set it as the preferred device in My Browser settings. Keep Chrome open and the machine connected to the internet.

This matters most for recurring web automation — checking an analytics dashboard every morning, pulling data from an internal tool, or monitoring a support queue. Instead of recreating your browser environment on every device, you maintain it once.

Similarweb Deep Analysis (May 14)

Manus already had a basic Similarweb integration. The May update expands it significantly. Instead of surface-level traffic numbers, Manus can now pull:

• Keywords Overview — demand, difficulty, cost, and intent signals for specific keywords
• Website Analysis Keywords — which search terms drive traffic to any domain, including branded vs. unbranded demand
• Incoming and Outgoing Referrals — which sites send visitors to a domain and where visitors go after
• Landing Pages — which pages capture organic or paid search traffic
• Popular Pages — highest-traffic pages overall

There are two access paths. Manus Pro users get integrated Similarweb data without a separate Similarweb account. Paid Similarweb customers can connect their own API key through the Similarweb MCP for account-level access with higher data limits.

For competitive research, this turns a vague “how is that company doing?” question into something actionable. You can ask Manus to compare referral sources across three competitors, identify which landing pages are winning for a specific keyword cluster, or package the analysis into a brief or slide deck — all within the same conversation.

Higgsfield MCP Connector (May 19)

Higgsfield is a professional creation platform for AI-generated images and videos. The new MCP connector brings it into Manus tasks, but the positioning is deliberate: Manus already has native image and video generation, and Higgsfield doesn’t replace it. Instead, it adds another path with more control.

Through the connector, creators can choose specific image or video models, add reference material, define output count, aspect ratio, and video duration. For advertising and product work, Higgsfield can start from product pages or brand context. After generation, you can continue in Manus Design View to refine the output.

The use case that makes this click: a team drafts a website in Manus, then asks Manus to read the site copy and use Higgsfield to create a motion concept that fits the page. The visual asset stays connected to the broader project context instead of living in a separate tool.

Make a Copy for WebDev (May 11)

Manus Website Builder now lets you duplicate an existing WebDev project into a new, independent session. The copy carries over the project code, database schema, and secrets. The original stays untouched.

This is useful in three scenarios:

1. Safe experimentation. Copy a live site, test a redesign or new feature in the copy, and decide whether to promote changes.
2. Template reuse. Build a strong base project once, then copy it for each new client or audience.
3. Market-specific versions. Copy a working landing page and adapt it for a different market without touching the original.

Changes in the copy don’t affect the original. The workflow removes the risk of testing ideas on a working site.

Connector Recommendations (May 5)

Previously, if you asked Manus to update a Notion page and the Notion connector wasn’t enabled, you had to leave the conversation, find the connector in settings, authorize it, and come back. That interruption broke flow.

Now, Manus recognizes which connector your task needs during the conversation, recommends it, and helps you enable it inline. The authorization flow still requires your input — Manus never bypasses permission controls — but you don’t have to leave the task to find the right setting.

This is a small UX change that removes a surprisingly common friction point, especially for new users who haven’t set up their full connector library yet.

Notion and Google Drive Deep-Dive Connectors (May 15, May 28)

Two connector deep-dives shipped in May:

• Google Drive Connector (May 15) — Manus can read documents from Google Drive and execute the steps that follow: summarizing, reformatting, turning a planning document into a project brief, or extracting action items. The connector holds the context; Manus handles the execution chain.
• Notion Connector (May 28) — Positioning explicitly as “the connector that turns Notion into a workflow engine.” Manus can read from and write to Notion databases and pages, turning static Notion content into triggers for multi-step automation.

Both connectors work within the existing Manus task flow. You describe the outcome, Manus identifies the connector, pulls the context, and executes.

What the May cadence signals

Manus shipped more updates in May 2026 than in any previous month this year. The pattern is consistent across every release: deepen existing features rather than launch surface-level novelties, and connect Manus to the tools operators already pay for.

Scheduled Tasks 2.0 addresses the most common complaint about agent automation — that recurring work loses context. Self-learning Projects tackle context degradation inside shared workspaces. Preferred Browser removes a real device-switching pain point. The Similarweb and connector updates extend Manus’ reach into competitive research and document workflows without requiring users to switch tools.

The ownership situation with Meta and Chinese regulators remains unresolved. But from a product perspective, Manus is shipping as if nothing changed. Whether that continues depends on the regulatory outcome, which nobody can predict. For short-term projects and evaluation, the risk calculus is the same as last month: the product works, is actively maintained, and the continuity risk is real but not imminent.

Pricing remains unchanged

Manus pricing has not changed since the December 2025 restructuring. Four tiers are available:

• Free — 300 credits/day
• Starter — $39/month, 3,900 credits
• Pro — $199/month, 19,900 credits
• Scale — $399/month, 39,900 credits

All May features are available across paid tiers. Similarweb deep analysis requires Pro or above for the integrated data experience; free-tier users can connect their own Similarweb API key if they have a paid Similarweb account.

Where the gaps remain

May addressed several known gaps, but some persist:

• API maturity. The public API at open.manus.ai/docs exists, but documentation is still thin for complex multi-step workflows. Builders integrating Manus into existing toolchains will hit limits.
• Team governance. While Projects support shared context, granular role-based access controls and audit logs are still basic. Teams with strict compliance requirements will need external process controls.
• Offline or low-connectivity use. Every May feature assumes reliable internet. Preferred Browser, Scheduled Tasks, and Connectors all depend on persistent connections. Air-gapped workflows are not supported.
• Pricing transparency at scale. Credit consumption varies significantly by task complexity. Teams running heavy scheduled automation should monitor usage closely before committing to a fixed tier.

How to get started with the May updates

If you are already a Manus user, most May features are available immediately:

1. Scheduled Tasks 2.0 — Open any existing task, find the schedule option, and choose “continue in same task” for the new context-persistent mode.
2. Self-learning Projects — After completing a task inside a Project, prompt: “Review this conversation and suggest updates to the Project instructions or files.”
3. Preferred Browser — Install the Browser Operator Chrome extension on your designated machine, authorize it, and set it as preferred in My Browser settings.
4. Similarweb — Available in tasks for Pro users. Ask Manus to analyze a competitor’s traffic, keywords, or referrals directly.
5. Higgsfield connector — Enable through the Connectors panel. Works alongside Manus’ native generation.
6. Make a Copy — Three-dot menu on any WebDev project card, or Project Settings → General → Make a Copy.

For new users evaluating Manus, May’s releases make the product meaningfully more useful for recurring automation, competitive research, and team workflows. The free tier is enough to test the core experience; Scheduled Tasks and Connector Recommendations work there too.

Related StackBuilt Guides

• Manus AI Current Status May: Workflow Fit and Trade-Offs (2026)

Get the action plan for Manus Ai Update May 2026

Get the exact implementation notes for this topic, plus weekly briefs with cost-saving workflows.

Send me the action plan